Missile systems "Caliber" and "Tomahawk. Russia's miss: "Caliber" turned out to be unsuitable against Western missile defense Tomahawk cruise missile speed

Tomahawk(Eng. BGM-109 Tomahawk, ['tɒmə‚hɔ:k] - Tomahawk) is an American multi-purpose high-precision subsonic cruise missile (KR) of long range, strategic and tactical purposes. It is in service with ships and submarines of the US Navy, and has been used in all significant military conflicts involving the United States.

• Sea-launched missiles SLCM (eng. Sea-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109A/…/F, RGM/UGM-109A/…/E/H
• Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles GLCM (Eng. Ground-Launched Cruise Missile): BGM-109G
• MRASM (Medium-Range Air-to-Surface Missile) air-launched missiles: AGM-109C/H/I/J/K/L

Story

The second option involved the development of a lighter missile launcher for 533 mm (21 inches) submarine torpedo tubes with a range of up to 1,500 miles (2,500 km).

On June 2, 1972, a lighter version for torpedo tubes was chosen, and in November of the same year, contracts were issued to the industry for the development of the SLCM (English Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile) - a submarine-launched cruise missile.
In January 1974, the two most promising projects were selected for participation in competitive demonstration launches, and in 1975, the projects of General Dynamics and Ling-Temco-Vout (LTV) (eng. Ling-Temco-Vought) were assigned designations ZBGM-109A and ZBGM-110A, respectively (the prefix "Z" in the designation is status, and in the US DoD designation system was used to designate systems that are "on paper", that is, at an early stage of development).

In February 1976, the first attempt to launch a prototype YBGM-110A (prefix "Y" in the designation) from a torpedo tube (TA) ended unsuccessfully due to a malfunction of the TA. The second attempt was also not successful, due to non-disclosure of the wing consoles. In March 1976, given two flawless launches of the YBGM-109A prototype and its less risky design, the US Navy declared the BGM-109 missile the winner of the SLCM program competition, and work on the BGM-110 project was discontinued.

At the same time, the naval leadership decided that SLCM should also be adopted by surface ships, so the meaning of the acronym SLCM was changed to English. The Sea-Launched Cruise Missile is a sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM). Flight tests of the YBGM-109A, including the TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) terrain correction system, continued for a number of years.

In January 1977, the administration of President Jimmy Carter initiated a program called the Joint Cruise Missile Project (JCMP), which directed the Air Force and Navy to develop their cruise missiles on a common technology basis. At this time, the US Air Force was developing the AGM-86 ALCM (Air-Launched Cruise Missile) air-launched cruise missile. One of the consequences of the implementation of the JCMP program was that only one type of marching propulsion system (Williams F107 turbofan engine of the AGM-86 rocket) and the TERCOM terrain correction system (McDonnell Douglas AN / DPW-23 of the BGM-109 rocket) received further development. Another consequence was the cessation of work on the basic modification of the AGM-86A cruise missile, almost ready for production, and competitive flight tests for the role of the main air-launched cruise missile between the extended version of the AGM-86 with a range increased to 2400 km, designated as ERV ALCM ( English Extended Range Vehicle, later became AGM-86B) and AGM-109 (modifications of YBGM-109A airborne). After flight tests conducted between July 1979 and February 1980, the AGM-86B was declared the winner of the competition, and development of the airborne AGM-109 ALCM was halted.

The naval version of the BGM-109 continued to develop during this time. In March 1980, the first surface flight test of the serial BGM-109A Tomahawk missile took place from the USS Merrill (DD-976) Spruence-class destroyer (eng. USS Merrill (DD-976)), and in June of the same year a successful launch of the serial "Tomahawk" from the submarine USS Guitarro (SSN-665) (English USS Guitarro (SSN-665)) of the Stegen project. It was the world's first launch of a strategic cruise missile from a submarine.
Flight tests of the Tomahawk SLCM continued for three years, during which time more than 100 launches were made, as a result, in March 1983, it was announced that the missile had reached operational readiness and recommendations were issued for adoption.

The first modifications of these missiles, known as the Tomahawk Block I, were the strategic BGM-109A TLAM-N (Eng. Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile - Nuclear) with a thermonuclear warhead and anti-ship BGM-109B TASM (Eng. Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missile) with warhead in conventional equipment. Initially, KR modifications for various types of launch environments were designated by assigning a digital suffix, so the BGM-109A-1 and -109B-1 indices denoted surface-launched missiles, and BGM-109A-2 and -109B-2 - underwater ones. However, in 1986, instead of a digital suffix to designate the launch environment, the letters "R" for surface ships and "U" for submarines began to be used as the first letter of the index ("B" - denoting the plurality of launch environments).
The cost of one launch of the Tomahawk missile launcher in March 2011 was about $1.5 million.

The main difficulty in countering Tomahawk-type cruise missiles is the task of detection. The low RCS of a rocket imposes restrictions on the required power of the radar, and low-altitude flight - on its location (the range of the radio horizon for a given altitude).

All these restrictions lead to the fact that at long range such missiles can only be detected using AWACS aircraft. At medium ranges, detection is also possible using low-altitude detectors, as well as specialized interceptors. At short ranges, Tomahawks (and similar cruise missiles) can be detected by most modern military and civilian radars.

Since the Tomahawk flies at subsonic speeds, cannot maneuver with high overloads, and cannot use false targets, the detected missile is confidently hit by any modern air defense and missile defense systems that meet altitude restrictions.
It also seems promising to use optical-electronic warfare equipment (in particular, noise detectors that suppress the GPS signal), which will significantly reduce the accuracy of a missile hit, and, consequently, the danger to the defended object.

carriers

• 23 Los Angeles-class nuclear submarines, 12 KR;
• 4 nuclear submarines of the Ohio type, 154 CR each;
• 3 Sivulf-class nuclear submarines, up to 50 charges for torpedo tubes, including cruise missiles;
• 3 Virginia-class nuclear submarines, up to 12 cruise missiles;
• British strike nuclear submarine "Astyut" (2007, the first of four of this class), displacement 7200/7800 tons, service life ~ 30 years, 6 torpedo launchers, 48 ​​torpedoes and missiles;
• 54 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (eng. Arleigh Burke) are in service and 8 more are being built at the shipyards of Brunswick and Pascagoula, armament 90/96 (depending on the series of the ship) PU "Aegis"; In the universal armament version, the ship carries 8 " Tomahawks", in shock - 56.
• 22 Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers, 122 Aegis launchers, 26 CR as standard;
• Since 2013, the launch of 2 new destroyers of the DDG-1000 series with 80 launchers each

Combat use

• Gulf War (1991)
• Operation Resolute Force (1995)
• Operation Desert Strike (1996)
• Operation Desert Fox (1998)
• NATO war against Yugoslavia (1999)
• Invasion of Iraq (2003)
• Intervention in Libya (2011)

Missiles "Caliber" and "Tomahawk" are capable of hitting surface and ground targets at a great distance, breaking through the enemy's air defenses. The Tomahawk and Caliber systems belong to the same class of missile weapons, which makes it possible to directly compare them.

In October 2015, ships of the Russian navy used Kalibr cruise missiles in a real combat operation for the first time. This attack on the facilities of illegal armed groups in Syria caused a real sensation, and also showed that Russia now has missile systems with the highest performance. A few days ago, the United States reminded of its missile potential by attacking the Syrian Shayrat air base using Tomahawk cruise missiles. It is quite natural that specialists and amateurs of military affairs are again trying to compare Russian and American weapons, as well as draw certain conclusions.

The latest facts of the combat use of Russian and American-made cruise missiles clearly show that the weapons of the two countries have certain common features. Both missiles are capable of hitting surface and ground targets at a great distance and delivering combat units of relatively high power to the specified object. There is also reason to believe that both missile systems have a certain potential in breaking through the enemy's air defense. In general, the Tomahawk and Caliber systems belong to the same class of missile weapons, which makes it possible to directly compare them.

It should be noted that the difference in the age of the considered samples can affect the comparison results in a certain way. Rockets of the Tomahawk family were adopted by the United States in the early eighties, while the operation of the Russian Caliber began only a few years ago. However, it should not be forgotten that over the past decades, American weapons have been repeatedly upgraded with new capabilities and improved basic characteristics. In addition, the Tomahawk and Caliber products are currently the main weapons of their class in the armed forces of the two countries. Therefore, comparing two missiles is unlikely to face the problem of their belonging to different generations.

Both considered missiles have a lot in common. So, they are intended for use by surface ships and submarines. The purpose of such weapons is to deliver combat units to enemy targets located at tactical strategic depth. These capabilities can be used both to destroy certain important objects, and to suppress existing air defenses before attack aircraft enter the battle.

Tomahawk missiles

As part of the Tomahawk family, the American military industry created several missiles for various purposes with different characteristics. To date, several types of missiles remain in the arsenals of the US Navy. For attacking ground targets, products of modifications BGM-109C / UGM-109C and BGM-109D / UGM-109D are offered, both basic versions and upgraded ones. Such missiles can be used by both surface ships and submarines.

The Tomahawk product is a 6.25 m long cruise missile with a folding wing span of 2.6 m. The starting weight, depending on the modification, reaches 1.5 tons. The missile is equipped with a sustainer turbojet engine. A solid-propellant starting engine is also used, which is necessary for passing the starting section of the trajectory. Depending on the modification, the missile is equipped with an inertial, satellite or radar homing system. The missile carries a high-explosive or cluster warhead weighing 120 kg. Previously, “sea” missiles with a special warhead were in service, but, according to reports, such equipment was abandoned several years ago.

Ship modification "Tomahawk" can be used with several types of launchers. The missile is stored and launched using the Mk 143 installation with four transport and launch containers or using the Mk 41 universal vertical launcher, each cell of which accepts one missile. Submarines can use such weapons using standard 533 mm torpedo tubes or separate vertical launchers such as Mk 45.

Techniques for firing missiles of different modifications by different carriers are slightly different, but the general principles are similar. After programming the guidance systems, the missile is ejected from the launcher, then the starting engine performs the initial acceleration of the product and brings it to the required trajectory. Then the rocket drops all unnecessary elements and turns on the main engine.

According to reports, the latest naval modifications of the Tomahawk missile have a range of up to 1700 km. Missiles of some previous versions could deliver a warhead at a distance of up to 2500 km. Flight speed reaches 890-900 km/h. An important feature of the latest weapon modifications is the ability to barrage in a given area and aim at another target after launch. Such functions to a certain extent increase the combat potential and flexibility of the use of missiles.

Tomahawk cruise missiles have been in service since the 1980s, and over the past decades have become an essential element of the American arsenal. According to available data, more than 4,000 such missiles have been manufactured and delivered to the armed forces so far. About half of the products were used during exercises or real combat operations. From this point of view, the rockets of the family hold an absolute record in their class, which is unlikely to ever be broken.

For the first time, Tomahawks were used outside the range in 1991, during the Gulf War. In total, the US Navy used 288 of these missiles (276 were fired by ships and 12 by submarines). Most of the products flew to their targets, but some of the missiles were lost for technical reasons or shot down by enemy air defenses. In two operations in 1993, the US Navy again attacked Iraqi targets, using nearly seven dozen missiles. In 1995, the first launch of the Tomahawk took place against targets in Yugoslavia.

Subsequently, cruise missiles were used by ships, submarines and aircraft to destroy targets in Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Afghanistan, etc. The last rocket attack to date was carried out on 6 April. Two American ships sent 59 missiles to the Syrian air base. As it soon became known, only 23 missiles reached their targets. The rest, according to various sources, either fell into the sea before reaching the coast of Syria, or were shot down by anti-aircraft systems.

Recent official reports indicate that the Pentagon intends to continue the development and modernization of the Tomahawk family of cruise missiles. These weapons, being updated and getting new features, will remain in service for a long time. There are no specific plans to replace such missiles with newer models yet.

Missiles "Caliber"

Work on the creation of a promising missile system, which resulted in the appearance of the Caliber family, started back in the mid-seventies. Over the next few years, the requirements for the complex changed, and in addition, some economic and political factors affected the course of development. The final appearance of the new complex was formed only in the early nineties, and soon the models of the new missiles were shown to the general public.

The following years passed without much success, since the Russian industry simply did not have the opportunity to fully develop existing projects. The situation changed only in the 2000s, when the design of new systems was completed and it became possible to start testing. By the end of the decade, the development of a number of missiles for various purposes and complexes designed for their use was completed. Subsequently, complexes and missiles of new types were included in the armament of new ships and submarines. For surface ships, the Caliber-NK complex with the 3S14 launcher is intended, for submarines - Caliber-PL, which uses standard torpedo tubes.

To attack ground targets in the complexes of the Caliber family, 3M-14 cruise missiles are used. Such a rocket has a length of 6.2 m and a folding wing. When the wing is folded, the maximum diameter of the product is 533 mm, which allows it to be used together with standard torpedo tubes. The rocket is equipped with a sustainer turbojet engine and a solid-propellant launcher. According to reports, a homing system is used, which includes inertial and satellite navigation equipment. The target is hit using a high-explosive warhead weighing up to 400 kg.

Until a certain time, the flight characteristics of the Caliber missiles remained unknown. The promotional materials for this project indicated a maximum range of 300 km, but such numbers were directly related to existing export restrictions. The actual firing range remained a mystery. In the fall of 2015, Russian ships from the Caspian Flotilla launched a large number of missiles at targets in Syria. To achieve these goals, the missiles had to cover about 1500 km. Soon there were assumptions about a higher flight range, up to 2-2.5 thousand km. For obvious reasons, officials refrain from commenting on this topic.

Video recordings made by Russian drones in the course of monitoring the results of the use of missile weapons showed the high accuracy of the Kalibr complex. In most cases, the missile detonates the warhead either upon impact with the intended target, or with minimal deviation from it. In combination with a large warhead mass, this makes it possible to increase the efficiency of target destruction.

Almost all the latest surface ships and submarines of the Russian fleet have become carriers of the Caliber missiles. Thus, Project 22350 frigates are equipped with two launchers with eight missile cells on each. Project 11356 frigates, the Dagestan patrol boat (project 11661), project 20385 corvettes and project 21631 small missile ships each carry one installation. According to some reports, in the near future, upgraded nuclear cruisers of project 1144 will receive such weapons. The Caliber-PL complex is used on diesel-electric submarines of project 636.3 Varshavyanka and 885 Ash. It was reported about the possibility of upgrading submarines of other projects with the replacement of existing weapons with new "Caliber".

The Caliber-NK missile system was first used on October 7, 2015. Four ships of the Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy used 26 missiles and destroyed 11 terrorist targets in Syria. In December of the same year, the B-237 Rostov-on-Don submarine solved a similar combat mission, hitting a ground target from the Mediterranean Sea. Subsequently, ships and submarines of the Russian fleet repeatedly used strike missile weapons to destroy various enemy targets. To date, at least 40-50 cruise missiles have been used, hitting several dozen targets. There have been numerous reports in the foreign media about missiles falling while following the route, but there is no exact information on this, including the number of failed products.

The problem of comparing "Caliber" and "Tomahawk"

Evaluating the effectiveness and comparing two samples of modern missile weapons is a rather difficult task. The real indicators of the combat operation of missile systems are affected by many different factors, which makes it difficult to assess them. Nevertheless, the available information still allows us to draw a general picture and draw some conclusions.

In the case of the Tomahawk family of missiles, the assessment is facilitated by the fact that over the past decades, the US Navy has managed to take part in several combat operations and use up a huge amount of weapons. At the same time, military operations were conducted in different regions and against enemies with different technical capabilities. For example, on September 23, 2014, 47 cruise missiles were sent to targets near Syrian Raqqa and other cities captured by terrorists. Lacking modern air defense systems, the terrorists were unable to intercept the missiles and lost a significant number of their facilities. The rocket attack carried out on October 13, 2016 ended in a similar way. Five missiles aimed at the Yemeni Houthi radar successfully reached their targets.

As you know, cruise missiles belong to the category of aerodynamic targets and therefore are included in the range of tasks of anti-aircraft systems that some US opponents had. According to various sources, during the Gulf War, out of 288 launched missiles, the Iraqi military managed to intercept and destroy up to three dozen. During the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the United States used more than eight hundred Tomahawk missiles, some of which also failed to reach their targets due to unsuppressed air defenses. Earlier, during the fighting in Yugoslavia, out of more than 200 missiles, up to 30-40 were shot down.

The reasons for such results of the use of guided missile weapons are simple and understandable. The available flight data and flight profile, despite the low altitude and the associated difficulties for air defense, cannot be guaranteed to protect the Tomahawk missile from enemy anti-aircraft systems. As the Iraqi and Yugoslav experience shows, even outdated anti-aircraft systems are quite capable of intercepting strike weapons and making it difficult to strike at key targets.

However, in the event of a developed air defense, the United States has appropriate methods. In the case of the use of Tomahawks, reconnoitered air defense objects become the first targets of missiles. To increase the chances of destroying the intended targets, massive strikes are used, the complete reflection of which is simply impossible due to the limited capabilities of anti-aircraft systems. Such a tactic leads to a large consumption of ammunition, but allows you to quickly disable the enemy's defenses, opening the way for strike aircraft.

The newer Caliber missiles cannot yet boast such a long combat career and unique quantitative indicators of use. At the moment, such weapons have participated in only one operation, during which only a few dozen products have been used up. The specifics of the current conflict in Syria leads to certain consequences, which to some extent make it difficult to determine the real capabilities of the complex.

Terrorist groups operating on Syrian territory do not have a serious air defense, which is why the Russian "Caliber" simply has nothing to break through. As a result, cruise missiles can pass almost unhindered to the target and destroy it. The only serious problem in this situation is possible technical problems. Earlier it was reported that already in the first salvo on October 7, 2015, several missiles failed to reach their targets, but detailed information about the fall of the weapon was not published. Apparently, if such incidents took place, then only a few times. Moreover, as follows from the reports of the Russian Ministry of Defense, even the loss of several missiles could not prevent the fulfillment of the tasks set and the destruction of the intended targets.

Comparing modern Russian and American cruise missiles, one should take into account the important consequences of their existence and use. Until recently, only the United States and Great Britain could send warships to the shores of the enemy and launch a massive strike with Tomahawk missiles. A large number of missiles and sufficiently high performance gave a high probability of successfully hitting all intended targets. Now Russia has a similar weapon. Missiles with a range of up to 1500 km and a significant number of their carriers, capable of reaching almost anywhere in the world's oceans, is a serious signal for a potential adversary.

Thus, the main conclusion from the current situation is not related to the technical characteristics, the number of missiles, or the likelihood of a missile defense breakthrough. Thanks to the appearance and adoption of the Kalibr family of missiles, a new force has appeared in the World Ocean, capable of influencing the situation in certain regions. There is every reason to believe that in terms of the number of deployed missiles and their carriers, the Russian complex will never be able to catch up with the American Tomahawk, but even in such a situation, cruise missiles will be a serious tool that can influence the military-political situation.

US President Donald Trump announced the start of the bombing of Syria in response to "the use of chemical weapons by the dictator Bashar al-Assad." According to the Pentagon, twice as many missiles were used in the April 14 operation as in a similar strike in April 2017 (59). How much the United States spent on major missile attacks - in the help of "Kommersant".

On March 24-25, 1986, the US military launched rocket attacks on military targets in the Libyan city of Sirte. Earlier, the United States accused the country of supporting international terrorism. The operation was called "Fire on the Prairie", during which it was released 6 anti-ship missiles "Harpoon". The cost of the missiles was $4.3 million

On April 15-16, 1986, the US Air Force attacked Tripoli and Benghazi (Libya). Operation Eldorado Canyon was a response to the bombing of an American plane and a terrorist attack on a nightclub in West Berlin. Was released 48 Shrike and Harm anti-radar missiles. The total cost of the strikes was about $7 million based on an average price per missile of $145,500.

On September 3–4, 1996, the United States conducted Operation Desert Strike in Iraq against the regime of Saddam Hussein. The reason was his intervention in the conflict in the Kurdish territories contrary to the UN resolution. On the first day of the operation, the United States released on the positions of the Iraqi air forces 27 cruise missiles "Tomahawk", in the second - 17. The strikes cost the United States about $62 million with an average price per missile of $1.41 million.

On August 20, 1998, after the attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Operation Limitless Reach was carried out in retaliation. American cruise missiles attacked a drug factory in Sudan and al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan. In total, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf were released 75-100 Tomahawk cruise missiles (total cost - up to $141 million).

On December 17–19, 1998, the United States, as part of Operation Desert Fox, launched rocket and bomb attacks on Iraq. The reason given was Iraq's refusal to cooperate with the UN commission on weapons of mass destruction. Strikes were made on 97 targets, it was released 415 sea and air-based Tomahawk missiles. Cumulatively, the launches could cost the US approximately $585.2 million

On October 7, 2001, the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in response to the September 11 attacks. It began with rocket and bomb attacks on Kabul and Kandahar. On the first day they were released about 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles ($70.5 million).

On March 19, 2011, the United States and Great Britain fired cruise missiles into Libyan territory from ships in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the coalition, more than 110 Tomahawk missiles ($155.1 million). This began the military operation "Beginning of the Odyssey", which lasted until the end of March 2011.

On the night of April 7, 2017, the US military released 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian airfield Shayrat in the province of Homs. Based on the average price per missile, this strike could cost the Americans about at $83 million

Moscow, April 7 - Vesti.Ekonomika. For the first time since the beginning of the long-term conflict in Syria, the United States launched a massive missile attack on the republic's air force base.

Syrian sources said there were casualties. The governor of Homs, Talal al-Barrazi, said that a fire started after the airstrike, and several people were injured. The authorities do not yet have exact information on the number of dead and injured.

Later it became known that civilians living in a village near the base were killed.

US President Donald Trump called the strike a "proportionate response" to an alleged April 4 attack by Syrian authorities on civilians in Idlib.

Thus, the current American president crossed the line that his predecessor Barack Obama did not dare to cross, limiting himself to military support for the Syrian opposition.

According to official information from the Pentagon, the Syrian Air Force's Shayrat airbase was attacked at 4:40 local time (3:40 Moscow time) from the Mediterranean Sea from the destroyers Ross and Porter. 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired. The United States delivered this blow on its own, without the participation of allies.

How much does it cost to launch?

Less than an hour after the airstrikes became known, Donald Trump went to the press and said he was guided by "vital US interests."

The Tomahawk missile was created in the 1970s, but gained notoriety in 1991 during the US invasion of Iraq, where they conducted Operation Desert Storm.

Then Tomahawk missiles were often used to destroy enemy military targets.

Over the past decades, the cost of Tomahawk missiles has increased significantly, due to the use of new technologies and warhead upgrades. Currently, Tomahawk missiles can be launched from ships and other devices.

The current version of the Tomahawk missile allows for a more accurate hit calculation. It can also be reprogrammed during flight so that the target is changed.

The Tomahawk missile program has been around for decades and is worth more than $10 billion, and that's just the development money.

That is, this amount does not include the direct cost of the missiles themselves.

The cost of the Tomahawk missile itself depends on its type. Simpler versions of the missile cost $500,000. According to NBC News, the missiles used in Syria cost about that much.

However, there is a Block IV version of the Tomahawk missile that is more sophisticated and can hit moving targets. Its cost reaches $1.5 million.

According to US media, the total cost of the strike on Syria, which was ordered by President Trump, ranged from $30 million to $100 million.

And if we compare these costs with the losses of Syria in terms of money, then the effectiveness of the strikes will be very low.

The purpose of the strike, according to US officials, was the destruction of military equipment of the Syrian army. But the Shayrat airfield has been used for several months as a "warehouse" for equipment that needs serious repairs or is awaiting decommissioning.

The Syrian military themselves report that six MiG-23s were destroyed, requiring repair, an An-26 transport, partially dismantled and being prepared for disposal, several other small-capacity aircraft, as well as auxiliary equipment in the form of tankers, trucks and cars.

The total damage is estimated at only $3-5 million.

USA vs. ISIS: facts and figures

The United States attacked the Syrian army's Shayrat base. The US has launched more than 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles from ships in the Mediterranean, the Pentagon said.

The United States has long been waging an unofficial war with ISIS (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation).

As of January 31, the cost of the US military campaign in the Middle East reached $6.2 billion, or about $480,000 for every hour of the campaign.

And the costs continue to rise: the Pentagon is asking for an additional $7.5 billion from the budget in order to continue the fight against the terrorist organization.

This is twice the amount allocated in 2016.

Now that Trump has struck in Syria, expect further escalation of the conflict and further military action in the Middle East.

We decided to give some facts and figures about how the US military campaign has developed so far.

The US-led coalition has carried out over 10,200 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria and Iraq.

Objects destroyed by the United States during airstrikes in Syria and Iraq

Over 37,000 bombs and missiles were dropped, and more than 50,000 terrorists were killed, according to Pentagon figures.

According to other sources, 32,000 targets were hit during the operation, including 164 tanks, 400 vehicles, and 2,638 oil infrastructure facilities.

U.S. and coalition airstrikes destroyed many infrastructures, as well as a money vault that allegedly held millions of dollars that were needed for the operations of the terrorist organization.

The bombing also hit the civilian population. However, exact data on casualties is controversial. According to the Pentagon, there are only 14 such victims. According to monitoring groups, more than 1,000 people died.

American planes dropped so many bombs that the US Air Force Chief of Staff said they were running out of ammunition faster than they could replenish.

Historians often call the international policy of Western countries (primarily England) of the late 19th and early 20th centuries "gunboat diplomacy" for the desire to solve foreign policy problems with the help of the threat of military force. If we follow this analogy, then the foreign policy of the United States and its allies in the last quarter of the 20th century and the beginning of this century can be safely called "tomahawk diplomacy." In this phrase, "tomahawk" does not mean the favorite weapon of the indigenous population of North America, but the legendary cruise missile that the Americans have regularly used during various local conflicts for several decades.

This missile system began to be developed in the first half of the 70s of the last century, it was put into service in 1983 and since then it has been used in all conflicts in which the United States took part. Since the adoption of the Tomahawk, dozens of modifications of this cruise missile have been created, which can be used to destroy a wide variety of targets. Today, the fourth-generation BGM-109 missiles are in service with the US Navy, and their further improvement continues.

Tomahawks proved so effective that today they are almost synonymous with cruise missiles. More than 2,000 missiles were used in different conflicts, and despite some misses and failures, these weapons proved to be very effective.

A little about the history of the Tomahawk rocket

Any cruise missile (CR) is, in fact, a flying bomb (by the way, the first samples of these weapons were called that), a disposable unmanned aerial vehicle.

The history of the creation of this type of weapon began at the beginning of the 20th century, before the outbreak of the First World War. However, the technical level of that time did not allow the production of operating systems.

Mankind owes the appearance of the first mass-produced cruise missile to the gloomy Teutonic genius: it was launched into series during the Second World War. " V-1"Took an active part in the hostilities - the Nazis used these CDs to strike at the territory of Great Britain.

"V-1" was equipped with an air-jet engine, its warhead weighed from 750 to 1000 kilograms, and the flight range reached from 250 to 400 kilometers.

The Germans called the V-1 a "weapon of retaliation", and it was indeed very effective. This rocket was simple and relatively cheap (compared to the V-2). The price of one product was only 3.5 thousand Reichsmarks - about 1% of the cost of a bomber with a similar bomb load.

However, no "miracle weapon" could no longer save the Nazis from defeat. In 1945, all the developments of the Nazis in the field of rocket weapons fell into the hands of the Allies.

In the USSR, immediately after the end of the war, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev was engaged in the development of cruise missiles, then another talented Soviet designer, Vladimir Chelomey, worked in this direction for many years. After the beginning of the nuclear era, all work in the field of creating missile weapons immediately acquired the status of strategic, because it was missiles that were considered as the main carrier of weapons of mass destruction.

In the 1950s, the USSR was developing the Burya intercontinental cruise missile, which had two stages and was designed to deliver nuclear charges. However, work was stopped for economic reasons. In addition, it was during this period that real successes were achieved in the field of creating ballistic missiles.

The US also developed the SM-62 Snark cruise missile with an intercontinental range, it was even on alert for some time, but was later withdrawn from service. It became clear that in those days ballistic missiles turned out to be a much more effective means of delivering a nuclear charge.

The development of cruise missiles in the Soviet Union continued, but now the designers were given slightly different tasks. Soviet generals believed that such weapons were an excellent means of fighting against the ships of a potential enemy, and they were especially worried about their American aircraft carrier strike groups (AUG).

Enormous resources were invested in the development of anti-ship missile weapons, thanks to which the Granite, Malachite, Mosquito and Onyx anti-ship missiles appeared. Today, the Russian Armed Forces have the most advanced models of anti-ship cruise missiles; no other army in the world has anything like it.

Creation of the Tomahawk

In 1971, American admirals inspired the development of submarine-launched strategic sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs).

Initially, it was supposed to create two types of KR: a heavy missile with a range of up to 5500 km and launched from SSBN rocket launchers (55 inches in diameter) and a lighter version that could be launched directly from torpedo tubes (21 inches). Light KR was supposed to have a range of 2500 kilometers. Both missiles had subsonic flight speeds.

In 1972, a lighter rocket option was chosen and the developers were given the task of creating a new SLCM (Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile) rocket.

In 1974, the two most promising cruise missiles were selected for demonstration launches, they turned out to be the projects of General Dynamics and Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV). The projects were given the abbreviations ZBGM-109A and ZBGM-110A, respectively.

Two launches of the product created at LTV ended in failure, so the General Dynamics rocket was declared the winner of the competition, and work on the ZBGM-110A was stopped. The revision of the CD has begun. During the same period, the leadership of the US Navy decided that the new missile should be able to launch from surface ships, so the meaning of the acronym (SLCM) was changed. Now the missile system being developed has become known as the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile, that is, "sea-launched cruise missile."

However, this was not the last introductory issue faced by the developers of the missile system.

In 1977, the American leadership initiated a new program in the field of missile weapons - JCMP (Joint Cruise Missile Project), the purpose of which was to create a single (for the Air Force and Navy) cruise missile. During this period, the development of air-based missiles was actively underway, and the combination of two programs into one was the reason for the use of a single Williams F107 turbofan engine and an identical navigation system in all missiles.

Initially, the naval missile was developed in three different versions, the main differences of which were their warhead. A version with a nuclear warhead was created, an anti-ship missile with a conventional warhead and a missile with a conventional warhead, designed to strike ground targets.

In 1980, the first test of a naval modification of the missile was carried out: at the beginning of the year, a missile was launched from a destroyer, and a little later, the Tomahawk was launched from a submarine. Both launches were successful.

Over the next three years, more than a hundred launches of Tomahawks of various modifications took place, based on the results of these tests, a recommendation was issued on the adoption of the missile system for service.

Navigation system BGM-109 Tomahawk

The main problem of using cruise missiles against objects located on land was the imperfection of guidance systems. That is why cruise missiles have been practically synonymous with anti-ship weapons for a very long time. Radar guidance systems perfectly distinguished surface ships against the background of a flat sea surface, but they were not suitable for hitting ground targets.

The creation of the TERCOM (Terrain Contour Matching) guidance and course correction system was a real breakthrough that made it possible to create the Tomahawk rocket. What is this system and on what principles does it work?

The work of TERCOM is based on the reconciliation of altimeter data with a digital map of the earth's surface embedded in the rocket's onboard computer.

This gives the Tomahawk several advantages at once, which made this weapon so effective:

1. Flight at an extremely low altitude with enveloping the terrain. This ensures high stealth of the missile and the difficulty of destroying it with air defense systems. You can only discover the Tomahawk at the last moment, when it's too late to do anything. It is no less difficult to see a missile from above against the background of the earth: the range of its detection by an aircraft does not exceed several tens of kilometers.
2. Full autonomy of flight and targeting: Tomahawk uses information about uneven terrain to correct the course. The only way to fool a rocket is by changing it, which is impossible.

However, the TERCOM system also has disadvantages:

1. The navigation system cannot be used over the water surface; prior to the flight over land, the CR is controlled using gyroscopes.
2. The efficiency of the system is reduced over flat, low-contrast terrain, where the height difference is insignificant (steppe, desert, tundra).
3. Rather high value of circular probable deviation (CEP). It was about 90 meters. For missiles with nuclear warheads, this was not a problem, but the use of conventional warheads made such an error problematic.

In 1986, an additional DSMAC (Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation) navigation and flight correction system was installed on the Tomahawks. It was from this moment that the Tomahawk turned from a weapon of thermonuclear Armageddon into a threat to everyone who does not like democracy and does not share Western values. The new modification of the rocket was named RGM / UGM-109C Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile.

How does DSMAC work? The cruise missile enters the attack zone using the TERCOM system, and then begins to compare images of the area with digital photographs embedded in the onboard computer. Using this method of guidance, the missile can hit a separate small building - the KVO of the new modification has dropped to 10 meters.

Cruise missiles with a similar guidance system also had two modifications: Block-II attacked the selected target at a strafing flight, while Block-IIA, before hitting the target, made a “slide” and dived onto the object, and could also be remotely detonated directly above it.

However, after installing additional sensors and increasing the mass of warheads, the flight range of the RGM / UGM-109C Tomahawk was reduced from 2500 km to 1200. Therefore, in 1993, a new modification appeared - Block-III, which had a reduced mass of warheads (while maintaining its power) and more advanced engine, which increased the range of the Tomahawk to 1600 km. In addition, Block-III became the first missile to receive a guidance system using GPS.

Modifications "Tomahawks"

Taking into account the active use of Tomahawks, the US military leadership set the manufacturer the task of significantly reducing the cost of their product and improving some of its characteristics. This is how the RGM / UGM-109E Tactical Tomahawk appeared, which was put into service in 2004.

This rocket used a cheaper plastic body, a simpler engine, which almost halved its cost. At the same time, the Ax became even more deadly and dangerous.

The rocket used more advanced electronics, it is equipped with an inertial guidance system, a TERCOM system, as well as DSMAC (with the ability to use infrared terrain imaging) and GPS. In addition, the tactical Tomahawk uses a two-way UHF satellite communication system, which allows you to retarget weapons in flight. A TV camera installed on the CD makes it possible to assess the state of the target in real time and make decisions about continuing the attack or hitting another object.

Today, the Tactical Tomahawk is the main modification of the missile in service with the US Navy.

The next generation Tomahawk is currently being developed. The developers promise to eliminate the most serious drawback inherent in the current modifications in the new missile: the inability to hit moving sea and ground targets. In addition, the new Ax will be equipped with a modern millimeter-wave radar.

Application of BGM-109 Tomahawk

"Tomahawk" was used in all the conflicts of recent decades, in which the United States took part. The first serious test for this weapon was the Gulf War in 1991. During the Iraqi campaign, almost 300 KR were fired, the vast majority of which successfully completed the task.

Later, Tomahawks were used in several smaller-scale operations against Iraq, then there was the war in Yugoslavia, the second Iraqi campaign (2003), as well as the operation of NATO forces against Libya. Tomahawks were also used during the conflict in Afghanistan.

Currently, BGM-109 missiles are in service with the US and British Armed Forces. Holland and Spain showed interest in this missile system, but the deal never took place.

Device BGM-109 Tomahawk

The cruise missile "Tomahawk" is a monoplane equipped with two small folding wings in the central part and a cruciform stabilizer in the tail. The fuselage is cylindrical. The rocket has a subsonic flight speed.

The body consists of aluminum alloys and (or) special plastic with low radar visibility.

The control and guidance system is combined, it consists of three components:

• inertial;
• according to the terrain (TERCOM);
• electron-optical (DSMAC);
• using GPS.

On anti-ship modifications is a radar guidance system.

To launch missiles from submarines, torpedo tubes (for older modifications) or special launchers are used. For launching from surface ships, special launchers Mk143 or UVP Mk41 are used.

At the head of the CD is a guidance and flight control system, behind it is a warhead and a fuel tank. At the rear of the rocket is a bypass turbojet engine with a retractable air intake.

An accelerator is attached to the tail section, which gives the initial acceleration. He takes the rocket to a height of 300-400 meters, after which it separates. Then the tail fairing is dropped, the stabilizer and wings are opened, the sustainer engine is turned on. The rocket reaches a predetermined height (15-50 m) and speed (880 km/h). This speed is quite low for a rocket, but it allows the most economical use of fuel.

The warhead of a missile can be very different: nuclear, semi-armor-piercing, high-explosive fragmentation, cluster, penetrating or concrete-piercing. The mass of warheads of different modifications of the rocket also differs.

Advantages and disadvantages of the BGM-109 Tomahawk

The Tomahawk is undoubtedly a highly effective weapon. Versatile, cheap, capable of solving many problems. Of course, he has flaws, but there are many more pluses.

Advantages:

• due to the low flight altitude and the use of special materials, Tomahawks are a serious problem for air defense systems;
• rockets have a very high accuracy;
• these weapons are not subject to cruise missile agreements;
• CR "Tomahawk" have a low cost of maintenance (when compared with ballistic missiles);
• this weapon is relatively cheap to manufacture: the cost of one missile in 2014 was $1.45 million, for some modifications it can reach $2 million;
• versatility: different types of combat units, as well as different methods of hitting objects, allow the Tomahawk to be used against a wide variety of targets.

If we compare the cost of using these missiles with conducting a full-scale air operation using hundreds of aircraft, suppressing enemy air defense and jamming, then it will seem simply ridiculous. The current modifications of these missiles can quickly and effectively destroy stationary enemy targets: airfields, headquarters, warehouses and communications centers. Very successfully used "Tomahawks" and against the civilian infrastructure of the enemy.

Using these missiles, you can quickly drive the country "into the Stone Age", and turn its army into a disorganized crowd. The task of the Tomahawks is to deliver the first blow to the enemy, to prepare the conditions for further aviation work or a military invasion.

The current modifications of the Ax also have disadvantages:

• low flight speed;
• the flight range of a conventional missile is lower than that of a missile launcher with a nuclear warhead (2,500 versus 1,600 km);
• inability to attack moving targets.

It can also be added that the KR cannot maneuver with large overloads to counter air defense systems, as well as use decoys.

At the moment, work on the modernization of the cruise missile continues. They are aimed at extending the range of its flight, increasing the warhead, and also to make the rocket even smarter. The latest modifications of the "Tomahawks", in fact, are real UAVs: they can barrage in a given area for 3.5 hours, choosing the most worthy "victim" for themselves. In this case, all the data collected by the sensors of the CD are transmitted to the control point.

Specifications BGM-109 Tomahawk

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